Beatles Lose Court Battle With Apple

A decision has been made on the lawsuit filed by Apple Corps (Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono, and the estate of George Harrison) against Apple Computer that accused the company of violating a 1991 trademark agreement which stipulated that Apple Computer could not use it’s name and logo to promote it’s iTunes Music store.

Justice Anthony Mann concluded that the company used the Apple logo in association with the store, not the music. Because Apple Computer was not involved in creating the music, the use of the logo was considered “fair and reasonable.”

The decision also means that Apple Corps must pay the legal bill for Apple Computer – a bill that is estimated at around $4 million.